1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a telephone system and process for transmitting a caller's directory telephone number or a keyed-in telephone number or name over a called customer busy, idle or in-use telephone line and received to an improved apparatus for later recall and or redialing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a customer subscribes for conventional single line (hereinafter sometimes referred to as CSL) service and is engaged in and existing ongoing telephone conversation with a first caller and a second caller calls, the second caller receives a conventional busy tone signal while the customer receives no indication of the second caller attempted call or its identity.
When a customer subscribes for call-waiting (CW) service and is engaged in an existing ongoing telephone conversation with a first caller and a second caller calls, the second caller receives audible ringing while the called customer receives CW tone signals. If the called customer acknowledges the CW tone signals by answering the second caller, the called customer will press the on-off switch hook on the telephone set which places the first caller on hold while the called customer is connected to the second caller. If the called customer does not acknowledge the CW tone signals, the second caller continues to receive audible ringing until forced to discontinue the call. Although CW service allows the subscribing customer to answer or ignore incoming calls to its in-use line, CW does not however offer the called customer an alternative way to receive incoming calls to its in-use line when it is not appropriate or possible to interrupt an existing ongoing telephone conversation, and yet not miss other equally important and expecting telephone calls. In addition, since the receipt of audible ringing to the incoming caller is generally understood to be inconsistent with the called customer line being busy, the incoming caller is led to believe that the called customer line is unattended.
A prior customer service feature referred to herein as calling number delivery, technical reference No. TR-TSY-000031, defines Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Bellcore's) view of generic requirements for the calling number delivery feature for residential and small business customers. This service feature allows the called customer terminal premises equipment to receive a first caller directory telephone number (DN) to an IDLE line during the ring cycle, which gives the called customer an opportunity to decide whether to answer the incoming caller. This service feature does not offer any benefits to the customer whose line is busy (i.e. without CW) or in-use) i.e. with CW).
The invention disclosed in the Sergio M. Brecher U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,975, issued Apr. 28, 1987, discloses a process for controlling a telephone switching system which gives a telephone customer alternative ways of handling an incoming call while that customer is engaged with another call. This invention teaches that the conventional call-waiting process is modified by permitting the customer touch-tone telephone set buttons to be operated by the customer for a short interval after the call-waiting signal is given to the customer responsive to the particular tone signals received. When the digits are keyed, the switching system is enabled to send a busy or a prerecorded announcement to the calling party or to reroute the calling party to an alternate destination. This system and service feature does make an attempt to answer incoming calls to an in-use line, but does not offer any alternatives to the customer who does not subscribe for call-waiting service and whose line is busy, or a way to continue an existing ongoing conversation without having to interrupt that conversation to answer the incoming caller.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide the called customer with an enhanced service which allows an incoming caller directory telephone number or keyed-in telephone number or name to be received to the called customer premises equipment via the called customer busy, idle or in-use telephone line while the called customer may or may not be engaged in an existing ongoing telephone conversation with another caller.
It is another object of this invention to provide the called customer with premises equipment which receives an incoming caller DTMF transmitted telephone number of name to the premises equipment for later recall and or redialing.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide the called customer with a reverse-call-forwarding service feature which allows an incoming caller to key-in on its touchtone telephone any telephone number or name of choice to which the called customer can return the call.
It is a further object of this invention to provide the Regional Bell Operating Companies and Cellular Mobile Telephone Companies and others with a revenue producing enhanced customer service system which interacts with existing and conventional telephone systems and features without the addition of new hardware at central office or at the mobile telephone switching office.